1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cat litter box hygiene and, in particular, to the screening and disposal of fecal matter from granular cat litter material. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved cat litter screening device which, when nested multiples of the invention device are placed within a cat box intermediate of the litter material within the box and the bottom of the box, permits repeated removal of said fecal matter from the granular litter, thus extending the duration of use of the litter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This invention represents an improvement over various prior art methods and devices which have as their object a similar attempt to prolong the useful life of granular litter. Among the devices conventionally used for this purpose are spoons, trowels, and small shovels. Special devices sold in pet stores include plastic shovels or sieves formed with narrow slots which collect the fecal matter as the shovel blade is pushed through the litter material, which material escapes capture by exiting through the slots and remaining in the litter box. Examples of these shovel/scoops are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 233,158 (Lowe, Jr.), Des. 256,173 (Rigney), and 5,076,627 (Simon). Also, a "dry excreta removing sieve" is taught in the odorless cat toilet of U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,397 (Wall). These conventional spoons, trowels, shovels, and other devices have a number of disadvantages and drawbacks. The size of these devices requires several swipes to collect and dispose of all the fecal matter, and many pet owners find it difficult to use such devices successfully. Often, the use of these conventional devices results in some of the fecal matter being inadvertently left in-the litter. Also, the soiled spoon, trowels, shovels, and related devices are unsightly when stored near the litter box. These drawbacks led to the use of larger litter sifter devices.
The concept of using-a broad litter sifter is old, as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,141,441 (Russell), 4,217,857 (Geddie), and 4,312,295 (Harrington). These references, however, do not teach stacking plural litter sifting trays (screens) inside a litter box. They neither teach nor suggest stacking a plurality of litter sifter trays of the type disclosed herein in a litter box. Specifically, Geddie discloses only a single sifter tray positioned on top of another solid tray which itself sits nested atop another solid tray. Upon removing fecal matter from sand or litter material in the first solid tray by removing the sifter tray therefrom, the first solid tray is removed from the second solid tray in which the emptied sifter tray is placed. Then, the sand or litter material is poured from the first solid tray into the second, and the sifter tray and second solid tray combination is nestably placed atop said first solid tray. Thus, multiple litter boxes are taught, rather than multiple litter sifters.
Harrington teaches an even more complicated arrangement of a series of stacked flexible, thin plastic sieve sheets with perforations (such as "a multi-slit vegetable bag material"), at the bottom of which is an impervious sheet for removal of all matter in the box after the sieve sheets are exhausted. Also, these series of sheets are fastened to an underlying cardboard form which, in turn, is securable to the bottom of the litter box.
Another prior art device intended to facilitate fecal matter removal from cat litter boxes while retaining the granular litter material for continued use is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,442 (Wilson). Unlike either Geddie or Harrington, Wilson does teach a litter sifter device intended to be embedded beneath the surface of the litter material in the cat box with side panels which also are perforated. The bottom panel of the sifter device, however, is designed to fold during the removal procedure, which limits the number of side panels to two. Absent four side panels to form an enclosure, there is great risk of spilling the fecal matter during or after the process of lifting the sifter device before proper disposal is achieved.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved cat litter screening device which obviates many of the disadvantages and drawbacks of present screening devices. Another object is to provide a screening device of the type described herein which is embedded in situ beneath the surface of the litter material in the box in which the fecal matter only is collected for disposal by lifting the device clear of the litter box and the granular litter material within said box.
A further object is to provide a cat litter screening device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, so it will be readily available to cat owners. The litter screening device may be made from a resilient material of only moderate expense which can be reused for a relatively long product life. Alternatively, it may be made from a less expensive cellulose-based board material which, after a single or relatively few reuses, can be disposed of with the removed fecal matter.
Another object is to provide a cat litter screening device of the type described herein which is easier to use than conventional devices, which does not present an unsightly appearance when in use, which stirs up the litter material more completely for more effective urine absorption therein, and which more completely cleans the litter of fecal matter thereby to improve litter box hygiene and minimize any risk of infection.